On the Role of St Davids and Western Wales in Medieval Culture – Talk at the Oriel Y Parc Visitor Centre in St Davids, July 4th

For those of you who have never heard of or paid a visit to St Davids, sequestered way out on its own in a far-flung corner of Pembrokeshire, it is time for a change.

The smallest city in the UK by population, and the westernmost too, it is a beautiful place centered around a spectacular cathedral, with a history harking back over two millennia. In the past, its fame would have spread much further afield. In medieval times, two pilgrimages to St Davids was the equivalent of one to Rome (a BIG deal to the overly pious public at the time), and travellers converged from across the known world to what was a centre of culture in western Wales. Groundbreaking religious and historical texts were produced in the region, which also became known for its performing arts, specifically its song…

It is not surprising really that St Davids, at the height of its importance in the 12th century when my new novel Song Castle takes place, should have come to occupy a pivotal place in the story. One of the book’s most scheming characters, Gerald of Wales, becomes veritably obsessed with St Davids, in fact, to the point of… I’ll stop there. The point of this post, after all, is to alert you to the fact that on July 4th I’ll be talking on this very topic in St Davids at the Oriel y Parc Visitor Centre, a visitor centre and outlet of the Museum of Wales.

I hope to see some of you there. It’s worth making a weekend of it: as well as the attractions, craft shops and seriously amazing restaurants in the city, this part of Pembrokeshire has some jaw-dropping coastal scenery.